Although justice usually arrives pretty damn late, it can show via any avatar. For the evil willingly participated in by Lazlo Lachman, there is no suitable punishment. For crimes against humanity, even hell feels insufficient. So, maybe causing him to go mad, to shove him into himself with only a buzz for input is as good a penalty as any. Such is the soul of The Bee by Rebecca Moretti.
Q: Now that time has passed, do you remain satisfied with the story–or are there any changes you’d make?
Q: To put it plainly, I believe that this story is about a Holocaust war criminal, like Josef Mengele. A lot of people will not make a similar connection due to ignorance. Did that idea enter your mind during composition?
***
Q: Now that time has passed, do you remain satisfied with the story–or are there any changes you’d make?
1: I am still satisfied with this story, perhaps even more than when I wrote it. Reading it now, it almost feels like reading someone else’s work, because the story came to me in a moment of inspiration that’s hard to replicate in day-to-day life. I believe I was alone in the Negev desert (unbearably hot in the summer) waiting for a hiking group to return so our bus could depart. I had nothing to focus on but the heat, the desert scenery, and the pesky flies that kept gravitating to the only human in sight (me). Because of this, the descriptions turned out more vivid and raw than anything I could’ve imagined if I had been writing in my room. I was completely engulfed in the moment, and I finished the first draft in a notebook while waiting for the group to return.
Q: To put it plainly, I believe that this story is about a Holocaust war criminal, like Josef Mengele. A lot of people will not make a similar connection due to ignorance. Did that idea enter your mind during composition?
2: Yes, the protagonist is a Holocaust war criminal, but he is a fictional character.
literally stories 
Thank you Rebecca for your answers.
Leila
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Thank you for this rerun and for your excellent questions Leila!
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I have to say that I like this even more the second time around. The haunting green eyes that return at the end are a particularly nice touch, among many.
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Thanks so much, David!
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Leila,
You are a master of this!!
Rebecca, I was very interested to read your comment about your surroundings when you wrote this. I had never really considered this but when I think on it, the happiest story I ever wrote was when I was on holiday in Cyprus. Maybe it was the surroundings, maybe it was the lovely people, or more than likely, it was the copious amounts of Brandy Sours we drank. In fact we were known as ‘Room 236 – Two Brandy Sours!’
Weird thing is Gwen hates Brandy!!
Hope to see more from you!!!
Hugh
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Thanks, Hugh — glad you enjoyed! What a great story, it’s amazing how much our surroundings can influence our writing. Sounds like a fun trip 🙂 !
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